As a donor supporting The Women’s Foundation, I am very heartened to know that my gift supports the foundation’s strategic and collaborative work to advance a social change agenda on behalf of women in our community. This work is largely embodied in Stepping Stones, an initiative to build financial independence and expand opportunities for women and their families.
Did you know that the number of people living in poverty in our region has increased by approximately 32 percent in the last ten years? That 70 percent of poor families in D.C. are headed by women?
These women need to build assets and create financial security for themselves and their families
This month, I attended the Stepping Stones Research Briefing, an all-morning session in which community leaders and policy advocates showed us what’s happening now and what needs to be done to improve women’s financial opportunities and potential. This second annual briefing was organized by The Women’s Foundation and The Urban Institute, a nonpartisan research and policy institute that analyzes problems facing the residents of America’s cities.
We heard eight experts–community group leaders, researchers and university professors–present compelling data and policy recommendations concerning women’s financial education, wealth creation, microenterprise, and access to quality care and education for children.
The diverse audience of more than 70 attendees included a county government official who wanted to understand how local government can implement change, leaders of nonprofits who are exploring ways to enhance their services for low income women, philanthropists learning about opportunities to invest in programs and women with low to modest incomes who are looking to develop their own businesses.
It’s so gratifying to me to see how The Women’s Foundation is encouraging researchers and community activists to view these issues and challenges related to poverty and opportunity throughout our region through a gender lens, and therefore serving as a catalyst and partner to craft and implement innovative solutions for women and girls, and their families.
Through Stepping Stones, The Women’s Foundation takes the learnings established through forums like the Stepping Stones Research Briefing, The Portrait Project and other venues for gathering and examining data and research and sharing information and turns it into innovative, effective solutions developed and implemented in partnership with businesses, community groups, Grantee Partners, and local governments.
And together, we’re able to invest in programs and nonprofits that enable women to gain access to credit, affordable housing, higher education, and quality child care…the very "stepping stones" to economic security.
Lisa Claudy Fleischman is a member of The Women’s Foundation’s Washington 100 donor network and is a founding co-chair of Rainmakers, The Women’s Foundation’s first giving circle.
